The Boyfriend
by The Bard2
Summary: Dawn celebrates her birthday and ends up with a date...
1. The Birthday

Title -The Birthday  
  
Author - Shane A. Hopkins (thesorcererbard@I-am-the-key.com)  
  
Pairing - Dawn Summers/ Mathew Jefferson (sort of)  
  
Disclaimer - What I don't own. Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and 20th Century Fox own Buffy the Vampire Slayer and everything related to them. Coke and the Contour bottle are trademarks of the Coca-Cola Company. Rasputina is a band featured on "Buffy The Vampire Slayer - The Album" (buy it if you can get it) What I do own. Everything not owned by the above mentioned people / companies is owned by me but you may use any of it as long as you give me credit.  
  
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The Birthday  
  
It was late night on the 10th of May, 2003 and Dawn was tucked up tight in her bed, fast asleep when Buffy returned from her patrol. Willow and Tara were asleep in each others arms on the couch.  
  
Buffy smiled a small slightly sad smile, she missed that companionship. She began to creep up the stairs when Willow stirred and noticed her.  
  
"Hey." she said in a stage whisper.  
  
"Hey." Buffy replied as she walked quietly into the living room.  
  
"Find anything on patrol?" Willow asked. Tara snuggled closer into her lesbian lover, still fast asleep.  
  
"A few vamps trying to turn the homeless into happy meals." Buffy said with a small smile.  
  
"And they're dust?" Willow said returning her best friend smile.  
  
"You bettcha." Buffy said.  
  
"So you ready for Dawn birthday party tomorrow?" Willow asked as she stroked Tara's hair.  
  
"Yup, Xand's got the Bronze booked, I sent out the invites, you got the food and drinks done?" Buffy asked.  
  
"You bet." Willow said, "This is going to be Dawn's best birthday yet."  
  
"Yea I think that this is one of the few times during the year when she misses mom." Buffy's voice had a hint of sorrow in it.  
  
"Willow?" Tara's mumbled voice brought her attention to the blonde witch.  
  
"Yea hun." Willow said, Buffy could hear the utter love in her voice.  
  
"Gotta get some sleep." Tara said sleepily as she nuzzled into the crook of Willow's arm.  
  
"Yea, she's right." Buffy said getting up and heading towards the stairs, "Night girls."  
  
"Night Buff." Willow called quietly.  
  
It was midmorning and Willow, Tara and Buffy were all in the kitchen, the two witches were cooking breakfast, Tara's patented Odd Shaped Pancakes, and Willow's Special Maple Syrup, while Buffy was reading the paper, when Dawn came bouncing into the room.  
  
"Well aren't you the proverbial cat that swallowed the equally proverbial canary?" Buffy said smiling.  
  
"I'm 16!" Dawn was virtually bouncing as she sat on a stool and helped herself to a pancake, "Why shouldn't I be happy?"  
  
"No reason." Tara said turning away from her cooking.  
  
"You guys are planning a party ain't ya?" Dawn said with a knowing smile.  
  
"No." Willow said a little nervously.  
  
"Yes you are." Dawn said, "Will, you are *not* a good liar."  
  
"She has other strong points." Tara said suggestively.  
  
"You have more strong points than I do." Willow replied equally suggestively.  
  
Buffy and Dawn smiled as the two witches teased each other.  
  
It was about dusk when Buffy led a blindfolded Dawn into the Bronze, where waiting were almost all of Dawn's classmates and other friends as well as several parents and the scooby gang, including Giles who had come over from England just for this.  
  
As Buffy undid the blindfold so Dawn could see, the gathered people all shouted "SURPRISE!"  
  
Dawn smiled, but neglected to look surprised, "Thank you all."  
  
A couple of girls from Dawn's class at school came and whisked her away and into the crowd.  
  
Suddenly music bleared from the stage as the live band, Rasputina, got under way.  
  
"Xander, how on earth did you get Rasputina to play?" Buffy asked the young man as she approached him.  
  
"The lead singer owed me for fixing up her house after a gang broke the windows." Xander answered with a smile.  
  
"Slick." Buffy said returning the smile.  
  
They were almost yelling to be heard over the loud music.  
  
"Giles." Buffy said by way of greeting as she approached her former watcher.  
  
"Buffy." Giles gave her that proud father smile he had been giving her ever since Willow had brought her back from the dead, "How is everything?"  
  
"Great, Dawn's doing good at school and I'm even thinking of taking a few college courses part time." Buffy said.  
  
"That's good." Giles said still giving her that smile.  
  
Dawn was having the best of time, dancing with her friends, talking, laughing and enjoying herself. She found that as long as she had her friends around her she didn't miss her mother quite so much.  
  
"Dawn! You wanna get a drink?" came a voice in her ear.  
  
Dawn spun round and came Rasputina with the boy she had had the biggest crush on for the last few months, Mathew Jefferson.  
  
"Sure." she answered in her best non-eager voice, despite the fact that this was what she had been wanting for months.  
  
Mathew took her hand and led her through the throng of dancers towards the bar.  
  
"What'll ya have?" asked the bartender in the uninterested tone that must have taken many years to perfect.  
  
"Two cokes please." Mathew said. The bartender moved back and pulled two contoured bottles from a small fridge that sat against the wall.  
  
"Thanks." Dawn said flashing a smile at the bartender as he handed her a bottle.  
  
"Shall we try and find a table?" Mathew asked.  
  
"We can try." Dawn said giving him a smile that could melt arctic ice.  
  
They actually managed to find a table right next to the dance floor.  
  
"So how does it feel to be 16?" Mathew asked as he pulled a chair out for Dawn.  
  
"Ooh a gentleman." Dawn said taking the chair, "Funnily enough it feels much the same as being 15 did."  
  
"I know what you mean." Mathew said as he took a seat opposite her, "But my birthday party was nowhere near this large."  
  
"My sister certainly knows how to throw a party." Dawn said looking over at Buffy, who was still talking with Giles.  
  
"I'll say, she even got Rasputina to play." Mathew said casting a glance to the stage.  
  
"I think Xander had some contacts in the band." Dawn said following his glance.  
  
"Xander? An ex-boyfriend?" Mathew said casting a suggestive glance at the beautiful, blue eyed, brunette opposite him.  
  
"Buffy's best guy friend." Dawn said smiling *that* smile at him.  
  
"Ooh." he said with a huge smile.  
  
It was nearly eleven o'clock when Buffy and Dawn agreed that it was time to open presents.  
  
They had been piled up on a large table off to the side of the room, there were a couple of dozen parcels each and everyone was covered in a different bright colored wrap.  
  
"Open this one first." Tara said handing her a bright purple parcel off the top of the pile, "It's from me and Willow."  
  
Dawn tore into the wrapping to expose a small bound book with the words 'Magick for Beginners' on the front, and in the bottom of the box was a small metal charm that Dawn had once asked Tara about. Tara had told her exactly what it was, a protection charm.  
  
"Wow, thanks Tara, you too Willow." Dawn said giving them both a hug.  
  
Dawn then opened Buffy's gift, a small beautiful pure silver locket, that Dawn had always admired when her mother had worn it.  
  
"Oh Buffy, thank you." Dawn said giving her sister a big hug as a single tear ran down her cheek.  
  
"Look inside." Buffy said quietly. Dawn did so and she found that the photo of her and Buffy that used to be inside had been replaced by one of their mother.  
  
"Thank you." Dawn said looking at her sister with nothing but love.  
  
Anya's present was next, it was a purple sweater that had looked very gorgeous on her at the mall a couple of weeks earlier.  
  
She went on to open gifts from the rest of the scooby gang then the ones from her friends.  
  
From Xander she received a huge box of chocolates, her favourite kind, while Giles gave her some cash, about a hundred dollars worth. Other gifts included a Blink 182 CD, a pair of clip-on faux diamond earrings, a stuffed teddy bear wearing a Shakespearian outfit with the words drama queen on the front and a cheap but fancy jewellery box.  
  
But for Dawn the best present came from Mathew.  
  
"Well, I didn't bring a wrapped gift but I think you'll like it even so." Mathew said with a smile.  
  
"What is it?" Dawn asked, she had a fair idea what it was but she wanted to hear it from his mouth.  
  
"A date, next Friday." Mathew said leaning towards her slightly.  
  
"It's defiantly a date." Dawn said. With that she gave him an extremely passionate kiss.  
  
"Dawn!" Buffy, Willow and Tara all gasped in shock.  
  
THE END. 


	2. The Date

Title -The Date  
  
Author - The Sorcerer Bard (thesorcererbard@I-am-the-key.com)  
  
Pairing - Dawn and Mathew Jefferson (a friend from school)  
  
Disclaimer - What I don't own. Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and 20th Century Fox own Buffy the Vampire Slayer and everything related to them. Coke and the Contour bottle are trademarks of the Coca-Cola Company. Rasputina is a band featured on "Buffy The Vampire Slayer - The Album" (buy it if you can get it) What I do own. Everything not owned by the above mentioned people / companies is owned by me but you may use any of it as long as you give me credit.  
  
Authors note. If anyone wants the recipes for the dinner Dawn and Mathew have then email me, coz I got em saved on my hard drive.  
  
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The Date  
  
"Now I want you back no later than eleven thirty." Buffy was saying through the bathroom door as Dawn fixed herself up for her date.  
  
As her birthday present the boy she had a huge crush on had given her a date. Mathew Jefferson was going to pick her up in about fifteen minutes.  
  
"Yea, yea." Dawn said as she ran the comb through her hair, "Can you say broken record?"  
  
"Very funny." Buffy said through the closed door.  
  
Dawn peered at her reflection in the mirror, "Lipstick." she said slapping her forehead.  
  
Dawn selected a lipstick with a slight purple tint, purple being her favourite color. She unscrewed the cap and twisted the stick out enough to apply it.  
  
When she had finished she put it back where she had found it, and look another look at her self in the mirror, her spectrum blue eyes fairly sparkled and were a wonderful contrast to her brunette hair. She was wearing the purple sweater Buffy had given her for her birthday less than a week ago, and a new pair of formfitting jeans.  
  
"Hotsss." Dawn said quietly, just in case Buffy was still listening outside the door.  
  
Suddenly the doorbell rang, Dawn heard her sister move down the stairs to answer it.  
  
Seconds later Buffy called, "Mathew's here."  
  
"I'll be there in a sec." Dawn called back, she took another look at herself in the mirror, "Perfection."  
  
Dawn opened the door and headed down stairs, at the bottom was Mathew.  
  
"Wow, you.you look absolutely stunning." he said admiring her from head to toe.  
  
"Why thank you kind sir." Dawn said in a fake posh voice.  
  
"Well our transport is waiting outside." Mathew said holding the door open for her to move through.  
  
"Have her back by midnight at the very latest." Buffy said quietly to Mathew as he was walking out the door.  
  
"Count on it." he said giving her a smile.  
  
Buffy stood in the door watching Mathew first hold open the passenger door to his car open and letting Dawn hop in, then moving round to hop in the drivers side and pull out the drive.  
  
"Oh to be that young and innocent again." she sighed as she closed the door.  
  
Mathew had booked a table at Sunnydale's finest Greek restaurant, Santorini's, and so as the waiter seated them Dawn had to ask, "How can you afford this place?"  
  
"Mom and Dad own the place." he answered with a smile, "Happy belated Birthday."  
  
The waiter poured them each a glass of water and left the pitcher on the table then tactfully withdrew.  
  
"Thank you." Dawn said flashing him the smile that could make army drill sergeants break down and cry.  
  
"Your eyes are wondrous." Mathew said gazing into the twin pools of blue.  
  
Dawn's face went red with embarrassment, "So what's good here?" she said to get the attention off her.  
  
"For starters I recommend the Greek Salad followed, for mains, by the Greek- Style Garlic Chicken and rounded off with the Plum Mousse for dessert." said a handsome man coming up behind Mathew, "You must be Dawn, my Mathew has told me about you." he said offering his hand. Dawn moved her hand to accept but the man turned it and gently kissed the back of it, "It is a pleasure."  
  
"Thank you." Dawn said, her already red face went another shade redder.  
  
"Thank you, father." Mathew said in a tone that said 'Please go away.'  
  
"Very well, I will go get your starters." he said giving a little bow.  
  
"I'm sorry about dad, he gets a little weird sometimes." Mathew said looking apologetic.  
  
"No, it's fine." Dawn said taking a sip of her water.  
  
At that moment soft romantic Greek music began wafting through the room.  
  
"Jefferson isn't a Greek name." Dawn said asking a question that had been on her mind.  
  
"No, mom's from Greece, dad's from Pensacola." Mathew said with a smile.  
  
"Nice combination." Dawn said flashing him a smile.  
  
"Thanks." Mathew said matching her smile.  
  
The rest of the meal went smoothly, the chicken was perfect and the mousse was delicious.  
  
Mathew got the check, apparently he still had to pay something, and helped Dawn into her coat before they left the restaurant.  
  
"That was delicious." Dawn said as she walked next to her date.  
  
"Best Birthday present?" he asked.  
  
"Without a doubt." Dawn said.  
  
She and Mathew walked in silence for a few minutes, they were heading over to the Bronze, there was apparently a really good never before heard of band playing, Mathew gently slipped his arm round her shoulders and Dawn lent her head onto his shoulder.  
  
"You smell great." Dawn said.  
  
"It's Tommy Helfiger for men." Mathew said with a smile, "Sounds like it works."  
  
"Like a charm." Dawn answered with a smile.  
  
The Bronze was hopping, the place was fairly packed, the band was obviously a great one.  
  
After they got stamps on their hands to show they were underage, they entered and were hit by a wall of sound.  
  
They made their way to the dance floor and were soon whirling and twirling about the dance floor.  
  
Dawn felt like she was in heaven. Here she was on a date with the guy of her dreams dancing to wonderful music after a wonderful dinner.  
  
Suddenly the song ended and the band started up a slow romantic dance, one which she didn't have a clue how to dance to.  
  
"What you don't know the moves?" Mathew said smiling, "A beautiful dancer like you."  
  
"Laugh it up, why don't you." Dawn said hitting him playfully.  
  
"Come on I'll teach you." Mathew said leading her to the center of the dance floor.  
  
It turned out that Mathew knew the dance moves perfectly so Dawn had to ask, "How do you know the moves to this song?"  
  
"Oh that's simple." Mathew answered, "My brother's the drummer."  
  
"Is there anyone in this town you aren't related to?" Dawn asked with a soft laugh.  
  
"You." Mathew said with a smile.  
  
It was almost eleven thirty when Dawn and Mathew left the Bronze and headed back to the car.  
  
They were a dozen feet or so away from it when a motorcycle roared past them, the rider, a platinum haired male with a long flapping black coat, waived to them as he went past.  
  
"Nice bit'o'meat there Lil bit." Dawn heard floating back to them.  
  
"Who was that?" Mathew asked.  
  
"Spike, a friend." Dawn answered, not wanting to go into that conversation.  
  
"Oh okay." Mathew said as he held the door to the car open for Dawn.  
  
"Home James?" Dawn said with a smile.  
  
"Yes ma'am." Mathew said throwing a mock salute.  
  
It was just before midnight when they pulled up into the Summers drive, Mathew hopped out and hurried round to open the door for Dawn, he then took her arm and walked her to the door.  
  
"Did you have a good time?" he asked.  
  
"The best." Dawn leaned in and kissed him passionately.  
  
THE END. 


	3. The Picnic

Title -The Picnic  
  
Author -The Sorcerer Bard (thesorcererbard@I-am-the-key.com)  
  
Pairing - Dawn and Mathew Jefferson (her boyfriend)  
  
Disclaimer - What I don't own. Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and 20th Century Fox own Buffy the Vampire Slayer and everything related to them. What I do own. Everything not owned by the above mentioned people / companies is owned by me but you may use any of it as long as you give me credit.  
  
Author's Note I haven't seen any of season 6 yet, but the clearing where they have the picnic is the same one Willow is in when she kills the fawn in Bargaining, part 1.  
  
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The Picnic  
  
Dawn put down the phone and did a small dance of joy, Mathew had just asked her out for a midday picnic.  
  
"Well someone's happy." her sister said smiling.  
  
"I've got to go get ready!" Dawn exclaimed as she rushed up the stairs.  
  
"Ah the problems of youth." Willow said from where she was seated on the couch beside Tara.  
  
"Choosing what to wear and how much perfume is too much." Tara added.  
  
"Then the waiting for the boy," Willow said turning to her girlfriend with a smile, "or girl to turn up."  
  
"Don't I know it." Buffy said sullenly.  
  
"You're just jealous coz Dawny's got a boyfriend and Spike dumped you." Willow said.  
  
"That's one point to the witch while the slayer has yet to score." Tara said with a smile.  
  
Buffy, with a smile, threw a pillow at her.  
  
Dawn had chosen a pretty floral patterned dress that came down to mid-calf, a purple scrunchy to hold her hair back, she was looking at herself in the new full length mirror she had pestered Buffy into buying for her.  
  
"Something's missing." she said quietly to her reflection.  
  
She stood there looking at herself for a few seconds before snapping her fingers as she realised what it was she was forgetting, "Necklace."  
  
She moved to her dresser and got the small silver locket that Buffy had given her for her birthday only a month earlier, she clipped it round her neck and went back to looking at herself in the mirror.  
  
Twenty minutes later there was a knock at the door.  
  
"I'll get it!" called Dawn as she hurried down the stairs. When she reached the bottom she accidentally tripped over the last one.  
  
Luckily Buffy was there and thanks to her superior slayer speed was able to catch Dawn as she fell, "Okay more speed less haste." she said with a smile.  
  
"Tanks." Dawn said as she moved to open the door, there standing in the doorway was Mathew Jefferson, the boy Dawn had been going out with since her birthday.  
  
"Ready to go?" he asked in that voice which sent shivers up and down Dawn's spine.  
  
"Ready and willing." Dawn said with a smile.  
  
"Shall we then?" Mathew said offering her his arm.  
  
"We shall." Dawn answered taking the offered arm.  
  
Mathew led her towards his car.  
  
Less than an hour later they were pulling up into a clearing beside the woodlands on the outskirts of Sunnydale.  
  
"A few minutes in there's a clearing that's the perfect picnic area." Mathew said as he opened Dawn's door like the gentleman he was.  
  
"Oh this is beautiful." Dawn said looking round.  
  
"You haven't seen anything yet." Mathew said with a smile. He opened the backdoor and got out a picnic hamper then locked the car and switched on the car alarm, "This way."  
  
Dawn followed closely so as not to get lost and after a few minutes walking along a path they came across a clearing. Mathew had been right it was a beautiful place.  
  
There was a pond in the middle surrounded by grass, birds in the woods were singing, and crickets were chirping.  
  
"Wow." Dawn said looking round.  
  
"Yea I know, there was a little trouble a year or so back, someone killed a young baby deer, but the cops couldn't do anything about it." Mathew said as he spread a blanket down on the ground.  
  
"Really?" Dawn asked, although she was more interested in the scenery.  
  
"Distracting isn't it?" Mathew said with a smile as he got the salads and plates out.  
  
"W-what?" Dawn asked suddenly realising she wasn't paying any attention.  
  
"I said 'the scenery can be distracting' " Mathew repeated, his smile getting bigger.  
  
"Yea, it's amazing." Dawn said sitting down and accepting a plate from Mathew.  
  
"That was delicious." Dawn said after finishing off her plate, "The salads and cold meat were both wonderful."  
  
"Thank my mom." Mathew said.  
  
"She's a hell of a chef" Dawn said.  
  
"I know." Mathew said as he began packing up the utensils.  
  
Dawn looked deep into his green eyes, "And you're a hell of a boyfriend."  
  
Mathew leaned over and planted a kiss on her lips, "Can I be honest with you?"  
  
"Always." Dawn answered with a smile.  
  
"Your sister? She strikes me as someone who's different." Mathew said.  
  
"How do you mean?" Dawn asked, she began to worry that he was clicking onto the fact that Buffy was the slayer.  
  
"Well when I'm near her it feels like it does when I'm near my own sister." he said.  
  
"I didn't know you had a sister?" Dawn made it a question.  
  
"Yea, she's in an exclusive boarding school in England." Mathew said.  
  
"What's the school?" Dawn asked, she was getting interested.  
  
"Um ... It's not one you would know." Mathew said deftly avoiding the question.  
  
"What aren't you telling me?" Dawn was getting concerned.  
  
"Can I trust you?" Mathew finally met her eyes.  
  
"Of course."  
  
"You're word?"  
  
"My word."  
  
"You know my mom's Greek?" he looked at Dawn, who nodded, "Well some men she knew when she had been young, came to see her, they saw something in my sister, they called in some British men, men that watch for people like her."  
  
"Men who watch for people like her?" Dawn asked, she had an idea percolating in the back of her mind.  
  
"Yea they said she was chosen, chosen for something." Mathew said, "Then they recommended that she go to this special school."  
  
"Did they say what she was chosen for?" Dawn's idea was almost fully formed.  
  
"They called her a slayer." Mathew answered, he seemed uncomfortable.  
  
"You mean they called her a potential slayer, don't you?" Dawn said.  
  
Mathew's head flew up and he looked her directly in her eyes, "How...?"  
  
"It seems I'm one up on you then." Dawn said with a knowing smile.  
  
"What do you mean?" Mathew said with a look of confusion on his face.  
  
"My sister is the current slayer." Dawn said with a smile.  
  
"You're kidding!" Mathew exclaimed.  
  
"Nope." Dawn's smile got bigger.  
  
Mathew lunged at her tackling her to the ground and enveloping her in a huge hug, both he and Dawn were laughing. They were rolling round on the ground for a few seconds until they ended up with Mathew lying on his back with Dawn straddling his waist.  
  
"I love you." Mathew said pulling her into a passionate kiss.  
  
Dawn pulled out of the kiss long enough to say the same before returning her lips to his.  
  
THE END. 


End file.
